Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prince Naruto

Chapter 1: Foxhunt

He felt heavier than Choji after 3 weeks of all-you-can-eat-buffets for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. But he was sure it was worth it, after all he was almost a ninja now. He only had to wait for Mizuki-Sensei and show him the jutsu, he had just learned. This time he knew, he could do it.

Just then Iruka-Sensei stumbled in the clearing. Looks like the final part of the test was about to start. "Hehe, Sensei your early, but that okay. I'm ready to rock the repeat exam.", Naruto greeted him. Iruka on the other hand looked ready for anything but the exam. "Naruto, what do you mean 'repeat exam'?", he had a very bad feeling about this. "Huh? Well, I gess Mizuki-Sensei didn't tell you? He gave me another chance to become a ninja! I had to get this scroll and learn one jutsu until he or another examiner comes to check on me. If by then I can perform one jutsu of this scroll, I become a Ninja. Great, isn't it? And it gets better: I learned a jutsu already! So all I have to do, is to wait for an examiner and show him what I learned. Believe it!", Naruto told his sensei.

Iruka knew Naruto got tricked befor he even finished his explanation - no small feat, since Naruto talks faster then Kiba could run away from homework. It was almost funny: the prankster himself got tricked. But nobody would use the forbidden scroll for a mere prank. No, this was clearly treason - and Mizuki tried to frame Naruto.

Just as that thought hit him - so did a shuriken. Damn, he had been so surprised, that he entirely forgot about everything else. Well, to late for this now. He had to get Naruto and the scroll out of here!

"Naruto! Mizuki used you! There is no 'repeat exam'! Take the scroll and run! Make sure Mizuki wont get the scroll!", Iruka screamed, while praying that Naruto would listen to him for once.

It even seemed so - until Mizuki opened his big mouth, "Naruto, don't you want to know why everyone hates you? I will tell you! You are the kyuubi! The fourth never killed the demon, he only made sure, you could never again hurt anyone. You are the reason so many people died 12 years ago! Even Irukas parents."

Naruto was speechles; that just couldn't be! But... a lot of things made suddenly much more sense. He remembered - how he heared so many wispers about a demon. Almost as if those wispers were following him. He remembered - how shopkeepers would throw him out the moment he set a foot in their shops. He remembered - how he would make new friends one day and the very next they wouldn't talk to him. He remembered - how Hokage-Jiji would cheer him up, saying he should be patient, because it was a very important trait for a ninja...

That moment the world came to a screeching halt: He knew! Hokage-jiji knew it! He knew what he was - and didn't tell him anything! After all those years wondering, what he did wrong; after all those years hoping, that when he got strong enough, people would like him; after all those years trying to find a single person willing to be his friend! Why didn't Hokage-jiji tell him!? Was he scared, that Naruto would try to eat someone? He had asked more times than he could count, why people hated him! What else didn't he tell him?

Naruto couldn't take it anymore, he turned around - away from Mizuki and Iruka-Sensei, and ran. Ran as fast and as far away as he could. Tears started to blind him. Where he was running - he didn't know, didn't see, didn't care. As long as where ever it was, would be as far away from here, from Konoha, from this lying Hokage as he could get. He didn't even realize, that he still carried the scroll...

A few weeks later things have calmed down in Konoha. Mizuki was in prison and Iruka in the hospital. Everybody knew Naruto was framed and to be brought back to the village, if found. Alive and healthy! - thank you very much. But everybody also knew that since the hunternins didn't find him already, he was most likely dead, or so far away, that they will surely never see him again. Almost the whole village celebrated Naruto's disappearance with a large festival. A few people were even worried - not for Narutos wellbeing, but that somebody might use him and turn him against Konoha. After all he was the Jinchuuriki of the most powerful Biju. Only a handful people were concerned for Naruto himself.